Nightmares are relatively common, with the most vulnerable group being children, whose minds are very fragile. It’s estimated that 10-50% of children aged 3 to 5 experience nightmares. Unfortunately, a significant number of adults also face them regularly. It’s worth understanding the symptoms that may indicate an underlying illness, where a quick diagnosis becomes essential.
Plagued by constant nightmares and daydreams? These could be signs of a disease
Nightmares are linked to experiencing negative emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety, and frustration. These disturbing dreams not only increase stress levels but also leave us feeling tired and drained upon waking. If such nights are normal for you, it’s a sign that you should investigate the situation more thoroughly.
Scientists from the University of Cambridge and King's College London warn that an increase in nightmares, combined with hallucinations or so-called waking dreams, may be symptoms of serious autoimmune diseases, such as lupus. Doctors advise not to ignore these symptoms, which could be a warning sign of illness. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, explains the process. Researchers examined 676 people with lupus and 400 doctors, conducting detailed interviews with 69 individuals suffering from systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Patients were also asked about depression, balance issues, and hallucinations. The order of symptoms was crucial. One of the most frequently reported symptoms was sleep disorders, affecting three out of five patients. Additionally, one-third of the participants informed doctors that symptoms appeared a year before their lupus diagnosis.
Nightmares and lupus: The latest research reveals a connection
One in four patients also reported experiencing hallucinations. However, the majority - 85% - said the symptoms only appeared at the onset of the illness or much later. Researchers found that three out of five lupus patients and one in three suffering from other rheumatic diseases reported increasingly severe sleep disorders. A large majority also faced hallucinations, and their nightmares often involved scenes of being attacked, crushed, trapped, or falling.
For many years, I’ve discussed nightmares with my lupus patients and thought there was a connection with disease activity. This study provides evidence for that, and we plan to strongly encourage more doctors to ask about nightmares and other neuropsychiatric symptoms - often considered unusual but, in fact, very common in systemic autoimmunity - to help us detect disease flare-ups earlier
- commented the study’s author, Professor David D'Cruz from King's College London, quoted by kcl.ac.uk.
One patient from Ireland described her nightmares as "terrifying, like murders, like skin being ripped off people, horrifying... I think it’s like I’m being overwhelmed, which could mean lupus, which is serious... so I think the more stress my body is under, the more vivid and worse the dream would be".
